BMW X4 M40i 2018 Review

The first M Performance variant of BMW’s polarising X4 coupe-shaped SUV arrives within the all-new second generation, and massively better for it.

Gone is the patchy interior quality, downmarket cabin finishes and not-so-premium styling details, replaced with a far more cohesive and classy design packed with colour, texture and newfound talent.

Is it right for me?

If you’re not into brood-friendly wagons but prefer something a little taller and more imposing than a regular car, then the X4 works – especially the range-topping M40i with its addictive turbo-six wallop.

Can I afford it ?

A six-figure sum isn’t going to be an achievable reality for everyone, though the X4 M40i does pack a shed-tonne of gear and glamour into its $109,900 recommended retail price (before on-roads). That’s nearly $20K more than the old-generation X4 35i but it’s almost twice the car.

That makes a grand total of $111,850. In comparison, Mercedes-AMG’s GLC43 Coupe is $110,629 before options, while Audi’s SQ5 wagon ($99,240) approaches the X4 M40i’s dollar figure once you add $5100 worth of optional adaptive air suspension and quattro sport differential (which it needs for M40i parity).

How much does it cost to maintain?

All BMW maintenance is determined via a Condition Based Servicing (CBS) system, which analyses vehicle use to identify whether an annual inspection or oil service is due. Selected BMW service and maintenance costs can be covered by a single, one-off advanced payment with BMW Service Inclusive, available in two packages – Basic or Plus.

For the X4, a five-year/80,000km BMW Service Inclusive package will cost you $1495 for Basic or $4400 for Plus (which includes new front and rear brake discs and pads, new wiper blades, and other wear-based items if worn by normal use).

As for warranty, BMW’s standard coverage is three years with unlimited mileage, though a 12-year/unlimited-distance warranty covers Body Rust Perforation.

Is it well built?

Manufactured in BMW’s US plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina (that also builds X3, X5 and X6), the X4 M40i possesses a level of trim quality and cabin tactility that eluded its underdone predecessor.

The M40i’s red-stitched ‘Vernasca’ black leather upholstery, in particular, has a sporting subtlety that’s totally in keeping with this turbo-six X4’s performance flavour. And while the standard leather doesn’t have the silky-soft feel of Nappa leather, it appears hard-wearing. The M40i’s classy ‘Sensatec’ stitched dashboard material, and much of its switchgear, looks and feels closely related to more-expensive German-built BMWs, and the quality of its M40i-specific styling details and overall paint finish is difficult to criticise.

All that good work does expose the occasional lapse in the X4’s repertoire, though. Slightly jarring matte-metallic plastics inside the dashboard’s ventilation grilles look a bit cheap, as do the steering-wheel buttons that fail to live up to BMW’s usual standard.

Considering where the X4’s interior fit and finish has come from, however, the new model is a huge step up.

What are the Standout features?

Greater on-road presence than its coupe-SUV predecessor, backed by a more handsome shape than the dorkier X6, means you’d have a new X4 simply for the way it looks – especially the chunky M40i.

But the real stand-out here is the sheer muscle of the M40i’s turbocharged straight-six engine. Garnished with an M Sport exhaust system and harnessed by an M Sport differential, the X4 M40i has both the performance and the cornering poise to prop up BMW’s (often untrue) “ultimate driving machine” advertising line.

What does it have that others don't?

A BMW propeller badge, and that means plenty to lots of Australians, if perhaps not as much as it used to for performance purists. But the X4 M40i does a fine job in bridging the gap between those who love an SUV and those who loathe them.

It’s also one of the few successful coupe-SUV styling efforts currently on sale. Unlike its polarising X6 big brother, the X4 appears neater, more svelte, better formed and less decadent in the amount of road space it occupies.

With 30mm more rear track width than its X3 wagon relative, the X4 has a satisfyingly meaty stance on the road. The fact that it also makes practical sense backs up the X4 M40i’s multi-faceted talent base.

How practical is it?

Measuring 81mm longer, 37mm broader and 3mm lower than its lacklustre predecessor, while riding on a 54mm-longer wheelbase, the new X4 manages to successfully package a roomy and versatile cabin into its coupe-inspired shape.

There’s 27mm more rear legroom than before, and even with the M40i’s standard panoramic sunroof (40 per cent larger than the old X4’s), there’s enough space to comfortably lug four 180cm adults to the snow.

The X4’s sloping tail might appear to compromise its load-carrying capacity compared to an X3 wagon, but it packs a generous 525-litre boot, with a useful carpeted under-floor section accessed by tilting the floor upwards on a pair of gas struts.

Is it comfortable?

The M40i’s sports front buckets are both nice to look at and great to sit in. Full electric adjustment, including lumbar support and the backrest’s side bolsters, mean the world’s your oyster when it comes to seating position. There’s also a manually extendable under-thigh cushion and fore-aft adjustment of the front headrests.

The deeply set rear bench is a two-person affair (or three if you’re absolutely desperate for a lift as the centre spot is rock-hard and hideous). And while there’s no doubt the sloping roofline and anthracite-coloured headlining make the X4 M40i feel more closed in than its X3 relative, it’s far from a deal-breaker.

Then there’s the M40i’s ride, which, thanks to M Adaptive sports suspension, somehow manages to make the ride on 21-inch wheels feel relatively comfortable. In Comfort mode there’s a compliance that’s eminently liveable, while even in Sport mode the M40i is tolerably taut.

There’s an Individual Sport mode, too, which allows the drivetrain to operate in its perky, barky setting while dialling down the suspension firmness. Or an Adaptive mode that’s stiffer than Comfort, but manages to switch between the parameters of all settings on its own accord, and works well on not-so-bumpy faster roads.

Easy in, easy out?

The sloping rear doors do impact slightly on entry and egress but not to any great extent. What’s more important is that the rear wheel arches are easy to navigate, making the X4’s back section almost as easy to get into as the front.

And with its standard M Sport bodykit, the X4 M40i doesn’t have any annoying side steps to rub mud on your legs, or the calves of your pants. Only if you’re seriously height challenged would getting in and out of an X4 be an issue. In which case, might we suggest a hot hatch?

Space and versatility?

There's much more than you’d imagine, though the X4 M40i isn’t a small vehicle. At 4752mm long, 1918mm wide and 1621mm tall, riding on a 2864mm wheelbase, it’s bigger than a medium-sized sedan and significantly wider.

The upside of that girth is a terrific boot that can be extended either by folding the rear backrests down (for a dead-flat floor) or by clicking them into a completely upright position, enabling the X4’s boot to swallow square-edged objects more easily. This German SUV (with an American twang) also knows how to speak fluent Ikea.

What's the engine like?

The X4 M40i’s most prized possession is definitely its BMW straight-six engine. Unlike Mercedes-Benz, which switched to V6s in the mid-’90s and has only recently returned to the straight-six fold, BMW has never wavered. And the finest of them all has always been the 3.0-litre, of any generation, as you’ll find under the bonnet of the X4 M40i.

The model name misleadingly implies it’s a 4.0-litre, but BMW would argue that this 3.0-litre petrol six with twin-scroll turbocharger has enough muscle to pretend it has another litre of capacity up its sleeve.

This 2998cc six is from a different (B58) generation than the 3.0-litre in an M3/M4, but with 265kW from 5500-6500rpm and a chubby 500Nm from 1520-4800rpm, backed by a superb ZF eight-speed automatic gearbox, it performs like a pukka M-flavoured BMW.

How much fuel does it consume?

On the official ADR81/02 government combined cycle, the X4 M40i consumes 9.2L/100km of premium fuel, minimum 95-octane. Given its 1825kg weigh-bridge ticket, substantial frontal area and big chunk of performance, that’s pretty damn respectable.

Is it enjoyable to drive?

More so than any other X4 variant (until the full-brew X4 M arrives in 2019), the M40i has the cornering talent to back up its coupe-esque form.

With a broader rear track than the X3 it’s derived from, as well as an active M Sport differential that continually shifts the drive bias between the rear wheels, the X4 M40i can truly hustle through bends. It’s at these very moments, with the nose pinned, the back-end hunkered down, and the outside rear wheel enhancing its balance, that the M40i is at its most satisfying

Even the variable-ratio steering has an element of sports car to it when there’s an armful of lock wound on. With the drive mode set to Sport, the M40i’s chunky three-spoke wheel feels fast acting and meatily weighted, in tune with its surprising mid-corner poise and terrific corner-exit punch. But at other times, there’s no escaping the fact that you’re driving an SUV.

Much of the time, the X4 M40i’s steering feels too aloof and lacking in crispness to make every journey truly enjoyable. And while the ride quality on guard-filling 21-inch wheels is surprisingly good considering that massive wheel size, even in Comfort mode the M40i feels firm.

For what it is, the X4 M40i is a decisive step in the right sporting direction. But don’t expect this high-riding beast to deliver an M3-lite driving experience. It’s more M3-heavy.

Does it perform as you expect?

With enough 0-100km/h muscle to match an E92 M3 V8 – no doubt helped by standard all-wheel drive – the X4 M40i has the performance cred to bolster its smattering of M badges and the M-coloured piping on its front seats.

Its turbocharged six delivers serious thrust from just above idle right to its 6500rpm redline. And if you nudge the Driver Experience Control toggle into Sport mode, there’s additional exhaust blurting on upshifts, extra crackling on overrun, and greater surround-sound effect for the synthesised induction note being pumped into the cabin.

Indeed, there’s so much grunt on offer that the X4 M40i will fluidly step its tail out when exiting tight corners if you stomp on the right pedal. And that’s despite the sticky 275/35R21 Pirelli P Zero tyres hugging its fat rear wheels. BMW wanted the M40i to have an element of the rear-drive flavour of proper BMW sports cars, and it’s there if you know how to find it.

What most people won’t be able to achieve is the drifting that BMW engineers reckon is ripe for the picking if you switch the ESC system completely off. However, at a weekend track day…

2018 BMW X4 xDrive M40i price and specifications

Price: $109,900 (plus on-road costs)

Engine: 3.0-litre turbo-petrol six-cylinder

Power: 265kW at 5500-6500rpm

Torque: 500Nm at 1520-4800rpm

Transmission: 8-speed automatic

Fuel use: 9.2L/100km

Drive finds the best deal on your next car

Tell us about yourself and our concierge service will help you find the perfect new car through our accredited Dealer network.

The X-Class with 0% comparison rate.^

Having completed an Arts degree in English Literature and Film, Ponch started out at Hot 4s & Performance Cars magazine in 1997, honing his distaste for bodykits and commercial doof-doof, before editing Australian Volkswagen magazine, then kicking off a 17-year career at ACP/Bauer as Staff Journalist for WHEELS in 2001.